Remember My Story: A Girl, a Holocaust Survivor, and a Friendship That Made History

by Claire Sarnowski

Book Overview

Told through "moments of despair, heartbreak, laughter, and triumph" (Kirkus), this "inspiring" (Booklist) and "hopeful" (School Library Journal) memoir tells the true story of how a modern teen girl and her Holocaust-survivor friend fought against hate to create change.

In 2018, fourteen-year-old Claire Sarnowski stood with ninety-two-year-old Alter Wiener in front of the Oregon state senate to champion a cause the two friends both believed in: making Holocaust education mandatory in their state's public school curriculum. Theirs was an unexpected friendship--she was in elementary school when they met, and he was an aging Holocaust survivor whose memoir she had read--and together they were going to change the American education system.

Alter had spent decades speaking to audiences of all ages and backgrounds about the Holocaust, teaching that "never forgetting" could help spread tolerance and prevent such an atrocity from happening again. But Claire knew hate crimes were still being committed, in her own town and even in her own school. She didn't want Alter's efforts on Holocaust education to be in vain.

From strangers to friends to law-changing history makers, Claire and Alter's mission was always simple: Remember this story. This page-turning memoir is a tribute to a man who survived the worst of humanity, an ode to friendship and community, and an empowering call to activism.

Praise for Remember My Story

"Claire Sarnowski's memoir ... proves our youth have the power to make positive change happen. Remember My Story is a call to action for all of us to do what we can to promote kindness and compassion in our world." --Trudy Ludwig, author of Gifts from the Enemy

"Readers will long remember Weiner and his hopeful instruction to be 'better, not bitter.' An inspiring and hopeful story." --Kirkus

"Put this in the hands of young activists." --School Library Journal

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316592854
• ISBN13: 9780316592857
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 256 Pages
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 to Postsecondary